1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for continuously packing medical appliances which are to be sterilized in the packed state.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various medical appliances and supplies used in hospitals (generally referred to as "medical appliances" hereinafter) are subjected to sterilizing treatments such as high pressure steam sterilization, ethylene oxide gas (EOG) sterilization, radiation sterilization and dry-heating sterilization before they are used in medical treatments. Of these the former two sterilizing treatments are commonly adopted. The sterilized medical appliances are kept in a sealed state until they are used in medical treatments, so as to avoid the risk of re-contamination with germs.
For such sterilizing treatment, there is ordinarily adopted a method in which individual medical appliances are inserted in to bags (hereinafter referred to as "sterilizing bags") and then they are sterilized in this state. The sterilizing bags are comprised of cellulose paper or of cellulose paper and a plastic film. Furthermore, sterilizing bags comprised of a synthetic pulp paper or a non-woven fabric are also used in some cases.
However, the operation of inserting and enclosing medical appliances in sterilizing bags is performed manually. That is, respective medical appliances are inserted into sterilizing bags, and then the opening of each bag is closed by pasting, heat sealing or the like. This method is troublesome and unhygienic and, thus, not preferable as the method for packing medical appliances for sterilization.
In the process for continuously packing articles, which is ordinarily adopted at the present, a thermoplastic film, a paper or plastic film having a thermoplastic material laminated or coated on the inner side thereof, a thermoplastic fiber-mixed paper or a synthetic pulp-mixed paper is used as the packing material. This packing material is folded into two or three to form a pouch, three sides of the pouch are sealed and thereafter an article is packed into the pouch.
A three sided-sealed pouch of a thermoplastic film or a paper having a thermoplastic material laminated or coated on the inner side thereof has an extremely poor air permeability, and no good sterilizing effect can be attained by EOG or high pressure steam sterilization. A thermoplastic fiber-mixed paper or synthetic pulp-mixed paper exhibits a good air permeability, but since it is poor in heat resistance, it cannot be subjected to high pressure steam sterilization treatment where it is exposed to a high temperature. Furthermore, in a pouch of such mixed paper having a much lower denisty than that of a cellulose type pulp paper there is danger of contamination with germs after sterilization.